Indicating electric-switch cover.



PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906.

0. G. PERKINS. INDIGATING ELECTRIC SWITCH COVER.

APPLICATION FILED J'A-N. 26, 1906.

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PERKINS CORPORATION, TION OF CONNECTICUT.

lNDlCATlNG ELEGTRIC-SWlT 3H COVER.

Specificationpf Letters Patent.

OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT. A CORPORA- Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

' Application filed January 26. 1906. Serial No. 298,087.

To It whom it may concern.-

Beit known that 1, CHARLES G. PERKINS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Indicating Electric-Switch (lover, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tothose covers for electric rotary or oscillating snap-switches which have means for indicating the positions of the rotary or oscillating switch-poles and the condition of the circuits.

The object of the invention is the production of a very simple and cheap indicating switch-cover having no opening through it except the central opening for the operating spindle and handle-stem that is screwed onto the spindle, but having circuit indicating characters on the outside and a shutter so formed and attached to the cover overthe characters that when the cover is placed on a switch and the handle is applied the shutter will be rotated or oscillated when the handle is turned and conceal and expose the necessary characters to show the condition, of the circuit.

Each of the embodiments of the invention illustrated by the accompanying drawings has a sheet-metal exterior shell and a lining of insulatin material. Applied to the outer surface of the top of the shell at the proper localities are circuit-indicating words, and over the words is a shutter which has openings at such places that it will conceal and expose the necessary characters to give the correct reading. in place by a hub which extends through and is expanded on the inside of the center of the shell and which has an opening of such shape that itfits the stern of. the handle or the end of the pole-sleeve, so as to be rotated or oscillated when the handle is turned and the poles are thrown.

Figure 1 of the views shows a plan of one form of cover that embodies the invention. Fi 2 shows a plan of the same cover with a different shaped shutter. Fig. 3 shows a. central section of-the latter cover. Fig. 4 shows a plan of a modified construction with the shutter in one position. Fig. 5 shows a plan of this form with the shutter in another osition. Fig. 6 shows a central section 0 the cover that is shown in Figs. 4

This shutter is loosely held and 5 with the handle omitted, and Fig. 7 is a view looking into this last form of cover.

The shell 1 is stamped to any approved design and size from common sheet metal in the usual way. This shell may be provided with a common insulating-lining 2. The words On and Off or circuit-indicating characters of like import maybe stamped so as to appear raised on the top of or may be other' wise applied to the outer surface of the top of the shell. Above these words is the shutter 3. This shutter is usually stamped from light metal; but it may be made from insulating material. A hub 4 is preferably turned down when the central opening is unched in the shutter. The edge of the hu is over on the inside of the edge of the central opening through the top of the shell, as shown in Fig. 3, for loosely holding the shutter and shell together. The opening through the shutter-hub may be angular or oblong, so that it will fit the angular or oblong shank of the switch-operating handle. The shutter may be provided with one or more openings 5 for exposing the indicating characters. A cover formed in this manner need have only two parts-thc shell and the movable shutter-which are secured so as to produce a single article complete in itself and always ready to be applied to a switch, so as to protest the parts and indicate the positions of the poles, and consequently the condition of the circuit or circuits.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs.

4, 5, 6, and 7 the hub 6 is formed of a sepaextends into the interior and has a rectangle lar or oblong opening that is adapted to fit the angular end of the handle-spindle sleeve 7, as shown in Fig. 6.

When the form of covenfirst described is on a switch and the handle is screwed upon the spindle, the shank of the handle extends into the opening in the hub, so that as the handle is turned for throwing the poles the shutter will be turned to conceal and expose the several characters which indicate the positions of the movable poles and the condition of the circuit or circuits in the interior.

I When the form of cover last described is placed upon a switch and the-handle is.

screwed upon the spindle, the hub fits the handle-s indle sleeve, so that as the handle is turns and the poles are thrown the shuttions of the poles.

' having a central opening but no other open-- In both forms illustrated when the handles are in place there are no openings throu h the cover and the lining, and consequent y theliability of the entrance of dust, dlrt, and moisture into the interior is eliminated. Both forms of cover are complete in themselves, and when placed on switches they assume such-positions that when the handles are screwed on and turned the shutters move to expose the proper characters to correctly indicate the conditions.

The invention claimed is v1. An electric-switch cover consisting of a metallic shell and an insulating-lining, each in'g, circuit-indicating characters on the outer surface of the shell, a shutter movable close to the outside of the shell over the indicating characters; liaving a central opening and an 4 cause observa'tion-openin .and adapted to exposeand conceal the indicating characters according to the condition of the circuit in the interior and means loosely securing the shutter to the cover, substantially as specified.

2. An electric-switch cover consisting of a metallic shell and an insulating-lining, each having a central opening but no other opening, circuit-indicating characters on the outer surface of the shell, a shutter movable close to the outside of the shell over the indicating characters, and having a central opening and an observation-o enin and adapted to expose and c'oncea the indicatin characters accordingto the conditions of t e circuit in the interior, and a hub extending from the shutter into the interior of the shell and loosely securing the shutter to the shell and having an irregular-shaped opening whereby through the hub the shutter is turned when the} handle is turned, substantially as specil CHARLES G. PERKINS.-

Witnesses: v

HARRY R. WILLIAMS, ETHEL M. LOWE. 

